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VC awarded $513K for stabilization

Valley City Tuesday learned Gov. Dalrymple has agreed to give the city $513,447 in Community Development Block Grants to help pay for emergency riverbank stabilization along Main Street.

City Administrator David Schelkopf said Tuesday the grant money will allow Valley City to repair riverbank from west of the Elks walking bridge to the first building past a retaining wall on the north bank of the river.

The CDBG funds are designated for vital infrastructure improvements of $250,000 in the city of Cooperstown and $513,447 in the city of Valley City.

The money will be used to assist Cooperstown and Valley City in making critical updates to infrastructure facing threats from the rising Sheyenne River.

Valley City’s cost for the project will be $135,363, or about 20 percent of the cost, Schelkopf said.

The emergency repairs are needed because of major erosion resulting from flooding in 2009 and again in 2011, Schelkopf said.

City engineering firm Kadrmas, Lee and Jackson will have to finalize plans for the work before it can be done, Schelkopf said.

“KLJ will finalize the plans and work will be done ASAP,” Schelkopf said.
In addition to that project, Valley City Mayor Bob Werkhoven said he is working with a federal agency, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, for riverbank stabilization from the former Elks club apartment building south and east to the Marketplace building.

Werkhoven said a firm called K2S is doing that engineering work, and predicted construction will begin by the end of summer or early fall.
“The city obligation will be minimal,” Werkhoven said.

Said Dalrymple, “These grants are essential for both Cooperstown and Valley City to provide long-term protection to their citizens in the face of increased flows in the Sheyenne River. Reliable drinking water and storm water are crucial to the infrastructure of our cities.”
In Cooperstown, the funds will be used for construction upgrades to relocate the city water supply wells for the city. The project will ensure the city can keep a reliable source of drinking water and maintain city wells during flooding.

In Valley City, the funds will be used for construction upgrades to protect the city sanitary sewer and storm sewer system failure from river bank erosion. The project will construct a wall which will hold the sanitary sewer and storm sewer systems in place, providing long-term protection from river bank erosion for the city.

“These projects are key to keeping vital services in place,” said Deb Kantrud, executive director of the South Central Dakota Regional Council. “Both projects provide essential repairs to infrastructure in these cities that promote citizen safety and assure that services provided to homes, hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, schools and businesses are not disrupted.”

Funds for the project came from governor directed dollars within the CDBG program managed by the North Dakota Department of Commerce. The program provides financial assistance to eligible cities and counties in North Dakota. The eight regional planning councils receive an allocation from the state to fund projects in their region.